1. [uncountable and countable] a building where people are kept as a punishment for a crime, or while they are waiting to go to court for their trial Synonym : jail ⇒ prisoner, imprison: He visits his dad in prison every week. Ricky has been out of prison for three years now. They’ll probably put him in prison for a long time. Helen was sent to prison for attacking a man with a knife. The two men were arrested only a week after they were released from prison. Three terrorists escaped from Brixton Prison. an increase in the number of women going to prisonMr Gunn received a ten year prison sentence.► Do not say ‘the prison’ unless you are referring to a particular building: She was sent to prison. | He spent five years in prison. | They live opposite the prison.

2. [uncountable] the system that deals with keeping people in a prison: the prison service Does prison deter criminals from offending again?

3. [countable] an unpleasant place or situation which it is difficult to escape from: The farm felt like a prison for her.

prison noun ADJ. local | overcrowded | high-security, maximum-security, top-security | closed | open Open prisons prepare prisoners for life back in the community. private | women's | debtors' (historical) military VERB + PRISON go to He went to prison for tax evasion. put sb in, send sb to, throw sb into She was sent to prison for leaking state secrets. He was immediately seized and thrown into prison. be discharged from, be released from, come out of, get out of When did he get out of prison? escape from A dangerous criminal has escaped from a high-security prison. avoid, escape You only escaped prison (= escaped being sent to prison) because of your previous good character. face She was told by magistrates she could now face prison. PRISON + NOUN sentence, term | cell, hospital | conditions | population | authorities, governor, inmate, officer, staff, warder | service, system PREP. at a/the~ The police are investigating disturbances at the prison. in (a/the) ~ How long has her father been in prison? There have been riots in the prison.

go to prisonShe went to prison for theft.put somebody in prisonMentally ill people should not be put in prison.send somebody to prisonI was afraid I might get sent to prison.be released from prisonHe was released from prison six weeks ago.let somebody out of prisonWhen's he going to be let out of prison?come/get out of prisonThe boy just come out of prison after doing two years for assault.escape from (a) prisonBlake escaped from a Missouri prison last year.an open prison (=one where prisoners are not restricted as much as usual)He was transferred to an open prison.a maximum security prisonHe was sent to a maximum security prison where prisoners are kept in their cells almost 23 hours a day.a prison sentence/term (=a period of time in prison as a punishment)He is serving a four-year prison sentence.a prison officer/official/warder/guardLast month, a prisoner attacked two prison officers with a knife.a prison cell (=a room where a prisoner lives)Overcrowding means that many prisoners have to share a prison cell.the prison population (=all the prisoners in a country)The government wants to reduce the size of the prison population.